Women more likely to die of heart attack if treated by male doctor, study finds

If you're a woman rushed to an emergency room during a heart attack, the gender of the physician treating you, could make a life-or-death difference. Female heart attack patients are more likely to die when treated by a male ER doctor, a recent study finds.

The results are a sign that doctors should be attune to women complaining of chest pain to root out the cause, one expert said.

"We need to be listening more to our female patients," said Dr. Renee Bullock-Palmer, director of the Women’s Heart Center at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills. "When they do present themselves to the emergency room, often times it’s for a real problem because, in fact, most females tend to not go to the emergency room unless it's really dire."

A study finds women are less likely to die from a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor.(Photo: LittleBee80, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

When treated by female doctors, male and female patients in the study fared about the same: 12 percent of women died compared to 11.8 percent of men, according to a report on the research by CBS News. Under the care of male doctors, 13.3 percent of women died versus 12.6 percent of men — a difference roughly three times greater.

The reason why, the study's authors suggest: Myths about heart disease as a "male" condition may color how male doctors treat women facing the top cause of death in the United States for men and women.

Two factors seemed to increase women's chances, however: Male doctors exposed to more women, both as patients and fellow ER physicians, saw more success treating female patients, the authors said.

The lead author told Reuters that he suspects additional deaths for women may arise when male doctors take longer to diagnose (and thus treat) heart attacks. Women suffering heart attacks can differ from men in their symptoms, which male doctors may not as readily recognize.

"Women’s symptoms tend to be more subtle and may be more ambiguous," the Mayo Clinic states in a Q & A on the topic. Chest pains can occur, yes, but less predominately. Less obvious signs — like shortness of breath or neck pain — can occur, too.

Bullock-Palmer at Deborah said better communication between patients and doctors could help bridge the gap.

"The nature of females, generally speaking, is that often times we are more conversational with our patients, we tend to dig deeper in terms of their symptoms," Bullock-Palmer said. "And I think just by virtue of those qualities, many times as female physicians we tend to tease out the underlying symptoms of the patient."

Staff writer Michael L. Diamond contributed to this story.

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